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Seat of Wisdom: From the Heart of the Church

by
Alexander Pierre
| Aug 27, 2014

By: Daniel J. Elsener, President of Marian University

The official motto of Marian University is Sedes
Sapientiae, which means Seat of Wisdom. This
image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who provided
the lap on which Jesus (the Truth) sat and learned,
inspires everything we do at Marian University.

Mary is considered wise because her deep faith
allowed her to accept God’s will for her without fully
understanding it. She is also called wise because
she continually reflected on her experiences—
“pondering in her heart” both the joys and sorrows
she experienced during her lifetime (Luke 2:19, 51).

At Marian University, we believe that the human
heart is the seat of all wisdom. Wisdom integrates
faith, reason, and human experience. It allows us
to make mature decisions and to act responsibly—
even courageously—as women and men whose
hearts are shaped by what we know, experience,
and believe about God, ourselves, and the world in
which we live.

Especially today, we believe that leaders need to
be wise. Smart, by itself, is not enough. Practical
experience, all by itself, cannot guide leaders who
often must make critical choices “in uncharted
territory.” Even a strong faith cannot sustain leaders
if what they profess to believe is separated from
reason, science, and the pursuit of truth.

Leaders have to know, experience, and believe.
They must have hearts that transcend emotional
or sentimental feelings in order to achieve true
wisdom. They must be able to examine carefully,
reflect deeply, and judge wisely—from the heart—in
order to lead others boldly and selflessly.

Marian University’s bold vision is “to provide
an education that profoundly transforms lives,
society, and the world.” The university’s Franciscan
sponsorship values, which we received from our
founders, the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, are
informed by prayer. They include: the dignity of the
individual, peace and justice, reconciliation, and
responsible stewardship.

In a meeting earlier this year, Pope Francis
discussed the missionary dimension of Christian
discipleship, which he believes should be reflected
in a special way in Catholic universities because,
“by their very nature, they are committed to
demonstrating the harmony of faith and reason and
the relevance of the Christian message for a full
and authentically human life.”

“Essential in this regard,” the Holy Father said,
“is the uncompromising witness of Catholic
universities to the Church’s moral teaching, and
the defense of her freedom, precisely in and
through her institutions, to uphold that teaching as authoritatively proclaimed by the magisterium of
her pastors.”

At Marian University, we take these words to heart.
In fact, we just completed a year-long process
initiated by our Board of Trustees to articulate our
vision for the future. There is strong consensus
among board members, faculty, staff, students and
their families, alumni, donors, community leaders,
and friends that Marian University should continue,
and strengthen, our identity as a Franciscan
Catholic liberal arts university distinguished in its
ability to “educate and form transformative leaders
for service to the world.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said that the
preservation of a university’s Catholic identity
“entails much more than the teaching of religion or
the mere presence of a chaplaincy on campus.” We
wholeheartedly agree. One of the unique features
of a Catholic university is the ability to integrate
“who we are and what we believe” into all aspects
of campus life.

At Marian University, we celebrate our Catholic
identity, and we invite everyone who becomes
part of our university community—regardless of
their religious, ethnic, racial, social, or economic
backgrounds—to grow in their understanding and
appreciation of what it means to be truly wise in
mind and heart.

In the spirit of St. John Paul II’s apostolic
exhortation, “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” (“From the
Heart of the Church”), Marian University seeks to
continue, and grow, its ability to provide leaders
for the Church and for society who are women and
men of wisdom and integrity.

To be successful, we rely on the intercession of our
patrons, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom,
and Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. We also
give thanks for our collaboration with Archbishop
Joseph W. Tobin and the pastors, Catholic school
leaders, and agency directors of the Archdiocese of
Indianapolis. May we do God’s will always!